My feet flew across the cobbled street as pedestrians and bystanders turned their heads in my direction. My dark cloak billowed behind me as I took a sharp left into a dark alley. My eyes scanned the narrow route. To the left of me stood a dozen small boxes, crumpled and broken down due to weather and misuse. To my right stood a ten-foot wall that leads to the roof of a local tavern. The faint footsteps of my pursuers could be heard behind me as I bit my lower lip.

“The boxes are too broken for me to stand on, so they are a no go. The roof is also a bad decision for multiple reasons.” I muttered to myself, turning in a circle to look around the alley. “Nope. A dead-end that way, those guards will catch up to m-”

“HEY! GET BACK HERE, YOU THIEF!”

I rolled my head lazily to the side, looking over my shoulder to the guard who held me at spear point. The metal tip poked dangerously into the divet of my back as the guard’s rough voice filled the narrow space.

“I have you now. I wouldn’t move a muscle or this spear is going straight through your spine, you hear me?” His voice shook as I narrowed my eyes in suspicion.

“Yeah, yeah. Quit your blabbering. You saw what I did to your little friends a few hours ago, yeah? I don’t think your little threat carries much weight with me. Now if you will excuse me, I have a home to get to and I would rather not be taken into custody before then.” I sighed, rubbing my forearm out of annoyance. The guard shook beside me; his knees shaking at the carefree tone of my voice. “Eh? Why are you shaking in your boots? It’s not like I killed the suckers.”

“You’re crazy...” His voice trailed off as he pushed the spear point further into my back.

“Hey hey hey! Dude, chill. That hurts like hell!” I grumbled. “And I know I am crazy, it’s what makes it fun!”

“What...?” The guard took a step back as I slowly lifted my left hand. A silver ring curled around my middle finger, a gray and white stone glistening on top. It glowed a soft gray as shadows slowly began to swirl on the walls surrounding me. I tilted my head lightly, admiring my hand with a playful smirk.

“I just love this thing. I guess you could call it sentimental.”

“You-you’re a magic-user...”

“You’re not? That’s a pity. It’s no fun fighting Dulls. They just run. Oh, hey! You happen to be a part of the royal guard, correct?” The shadows around me seemed to slow down with creeping malice. They glided from the wall towards my left foot, swirling beneath the shoe ominously.

The guard fell backward as his knees seemed to collapse out of fear. He pushed himself backward, using his hands to pull him.

“I-I know who you are! You’re that menace from Maelstrom, the one who stole the K-” Shadows curled around his mouth, silencing him.

“Hey, no need to announce such things! While you may be correct, we wouldn’t want the whole village to know, now would we?” I crouched down in front of the man. My shadows held him in place as I slowly moved the spear point from my back. I frowned as I held up the tip of the weapon. I poked the end lightly, tilting my head.

“Oh come on. You guys can do so much better than these worthless pieces of crap, like seriously, it isn’t even sharpened! I’d hate to die to weapons like these. You should really ask Galterius for a raise next time you see him, eh?” I threw the spear to the ground, giving it a light kick with my boot to make a point.

The man struggled against my shadows, letting out muffled grunts and yells. I gave off a light sigh as the man continued to struggle. He fell onto his side in a fetal-like position, tears now streaming down his face. My face contorted into that of pure confusion and disgust.

“That’s pitiful. My poor shadows…” I let the shadows fall from his mouth.

“I am going to die ...so going to die ...I did not sign up for this when I joined the guard.” He mumbled repeatedly, rocking back and forth.

“Why do people think I am going to kill them?!” I grumbled in exasperation. The guard jumped at the tone of my voice, trying to scoot away further. I tilted my head at him as I thought. He continued to move away at a slow pace before I stopped him. I planted my heel beside his head while my other foot hovered over his groin.

“Quit running away, we wouldn’t want me to stumble at the moment, now would we?” I hummed in amusement as the guard’s face paled and he shook his head rapidly. “Good. I am willing to make a deal, whatcha say?”

“What kind of deal...?” I lowered my face closer to his as my shadows crept slower up his body. I smirked maliciously.

“Let’s forget all of this happened, right? If I let you go, I need you to get your little friends off of my ass. However, if you fail to do this, my shadows will hunt you down and wrap around that cowardice throat of yours. They will constrict and tighten slowly, putting you through so much pain that you will wish that they will just kill you already. Then, at the last moment, they will let go and give you a moment to rethink your life. All of your mistakes and failures will flash before your eyes as the shadows grab your neck once more. They will pierce your jugular over and over again before you can even begin to regret your life choices. Now that I have made my threat very evident, leave before I can act on that threat, and take your useless spear with you, I have no need for it. And you better create a diversion or that throat is mine!” The guard nodded vigorously as my shadows let him go. The dark ribbons flowed back into the alley, dispersing back into their original places.

As the guard fled, I turned to look at the street I came from. I let out a hefty sigh and pulled my hood back over my head. I started back down the street, trusting that my threat laid heavily on the guard’s chest and that I wouldn’t be followed.

The name’s Katsai Cree. As you can probably tell by now, I am a wanted criminal by the all-mighty King Galterius. The reason? Easy. I stole the magic orb that allowed him to create his infamous emerald flames. Magic is a part of this world, believe it or not. It flows through every person and creature, but there is a downside. In order for a person to use magic, they have to attain a magical item, whether it is jewelry or a rock. These items allow users to channel their magic in a physical form. The magic takes the form of the person’s soul, like ice for the cold-hearted or earth for the caring. These items that channel the magic; however, are extremely rare and sought out for. Only a select few have these items. Most of the population lives in fear of us magic-users, but others seek us out for power and glory. We are called Holders and most of us work for higher authorities, like King Galterius. These ‘higher-ups’ use our magic capabilities for political gain and tyranny. Most of these authorities lack magical items, which we call Aitehos. However, others like Galterius hold aitehos and have no use for others unless for the use of fear and military gain.

With Galterius using Holders against the local villages, I decided to pay the tyrant a little karma and steal his aiteho. Crazy, right? Now I am a wanted thief with the royal guard after me. I don’t regret this choice, for it’s actually quite fun. Always on the run from guards and eagles. Now that I’ve finished all the explaining, let’s get back to the story, shall we?

I kept my head low as I continued to walk down the street at a fast pace. To my right stood taverns and inns, where travelers and merchants resided for days at a time. To my left stood the local market. The smells of fresh bread and fresh-cut meat filled the air. The squeals of young children could be heard as they ran alongside their parents, dolls and wooden tools in their tiny hands. Merchants stood behind their products, yelling about lowered prices or brand-new potions that could bring out the magic in anyone. Well, hoaxes in other words.

I tied my hood tighter around my face as I walked past a message board. Wanted posters were stuck to the cork surface. Faces of other criminals littered the board with high rewards listed under their names. I slowed down for a second as I spotted my face. It was poorly sketched but was clearly me. The description was on point with lightly curled, honey brown hair and ice-blue eyes, short-statured, and a Holder. I tilted my head lightly as I continued on, paying no mind to the poster. I’ve seen it a dozen times before, it was nothing new.

I strolled over to a cart where freshly-baked rolls stood in full view. Their heavenly scent filled my nose as I pulled out a small sack of coins.

“Hello...er...Miss?” I nodded, confirming the merchant’s assumption. My cloak covered my body, concealing both my gender and my features. “Oh, right! It’s a hot day out, why the long cloak?”

“I don’t wish to attract the attention of unwanted suitors,” I mumbled with little emotion, waiting patiently to buy some rolls.

“Pretty one, huh? Well, that is a perfectly understandable reason. Wish to buy some rolls?” I nodded once more, slightly frowning at the man’s comment. I gazed at the rolls, picking out two perfectly baked pieces.

“You have a good eye, I see! Here you go!” I nodded as he handed me the rolls in a mundane paper bag. I passed him the sack of coins as I peered into the bag hungrily.

“Thank you kindly, sir.” I hummed, looking back up at the merchant. I shifted uncomfortably as I noticed his gaze on me lingered. His dark eyes narrowed suspiciously as he bit his inner cheek. I quickly hid my left hand in my cloak as I backed up slowly. The bearded man just sighed as he looked to the right to spit.

“You’ve heard of those outlaws, right?”

“Yes, sir...”

“Be mighty careful out there, Miss. You never know when someone might be watching.” The merchant ducked behind his cart once more as chills swept up my spine. I stood frozen for half a second before stirring back to reality. I turned my head to the right then to the left before starting to walk off with my purchases held in the crook of my right arm. I stared at my feet as they marched me along the familiar route home.

The merchant’s words kept repeating in my head. They are watching. My head snapped up as movement caught my eye. I pursed my lips as I sped up, the ground becoming a blur as I sprinted down cobbled streets. My right hand clutched the produce as I turned left. I let out a breath as I entered the small community of cottages. Their friendly welcome calmed me down as I slowed my pace.

The cottages were arranged in columns with the wealthiest sitting towards the center of the community. Children ran in between the cottages as their parents sat outside, tending to their gardens or laundry. It was a warm summer day with plenty of leisure time to spend. Families spent the day together and couples walked down the streets hand-in-hand. It was beautiful, despite the obvious tension in the air.

I rubbed the back of my neck, counting the cottage numbers before the familiar ninety-one flashed before my eyes. I looked down at my right hand as I chuckled.

“Let’s hope these rolls will help me break the news. Who am I kidding? He’s going to freak out anyway.” I laughed as I approached the front door, fingering the key that was attached to my hip. I pondered for a second while my left hand fidgeted with the satchel tied to my body underneath my cloak. My lips curved into a frown as the warmth of King Galterius’ aiteho pulsed beneath my palm.

“Yeah, he will most definitely freak out.” I sighed, letting my hands fall as I pushed open the door. The door gave a slight creak as it swung open, revealing a dark room. On the far wall resided a fireplace with brick walls flowing up to the ceiling in a homely pattern. On the left wall stood an old oak door that led to the kitchen on the other side. The wall nearest to the front entrance held a covered window that looked out to the cobbled streets in front. And lastly, on the right wall sat an old felt sofa. Light snoring could be heard from the sofa as a figure could barely be made out in the dark. My eye twitched as I lit a candle near the door.

I slowly picked up the candle and walked over to the sofa, gazing at the druid resting on the cushions. Dark messy hair adorned his head with a few spikes here and there. His ears sloped to a point. His tan skin was lightly illuminated by the light of the candle as he continued to snore. I looked around the room, thinning my lips as I spotted a little opening between the back of the sofa and the wall. I quickly placed the candle on the end table and snickered lightly as I crawled into the opening. With slow and quiet movements, I peered over the back of the cushion at his face.

The half-elf slept with his arms under his head and with his feet crossed. I smirked as I raised my left hand slowly. The shadows cast by the candle slowly weaved into the shape of a black feather. The remaining shadows rose from the tip of the feather, like the steam from a cup or the smoke from a fire.

I picked the mystic feather up from its shaft and slowly lowered it over the back of the couch. The feather neared his nose as I snickered again.

“Let’s see how deep you actually sleep...” I whispered to myself, holding back fits of laughter. The tip of the feather touched his nose as shadows dispersed across his skin like a fire lighting up across fresh wood. I brought my left hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle. As I opened my eyes to continue moving the feather, a hand grabbed my wrist.

“Really?...” A tired voice rose from the sofa as I froze with a nervous smile.

“Aha...Morning, sleeping beauty...?” A sigh could be heard as a dark eye met mine. His eyes were a deep shade of brown with hints of crimson lingering in the irises. He lifted himself up with his hand still holding mine motionless. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand and yawned.

“Damn, you always have to use the feather, huh?”

“Can you let go of my hand?”

“No.”

I groaned, lowering my head onto the back of the couch. I looked at my left hand as my ring glowed. I looked at the back of his head, tilting my head before looking back at my ring. I smirked.

“Don’t.” His face was instantly near mine as my breath seized.

“How the fuck…?”

“I know you, Kat. And you know me, I wouldn’t.” I pouted as I took a step back and tried to pry my hand from his.

“Aw, you are always ruining my fun.” My ring stopped glowing as I let the feather fade. He finally let go of my hand as he stood to stretch. I crawled back into the little crevice.

“You are home early anyway, so I don’t know why you expected me to be awake.”

“You’re always asleep, Kagin. I would have to wake you up anyhow,” I hummed, standing up and brushing my cloak off. My face contorted into a grimace as I stared at the couch again. “Spring cleaning time soon, I guess.”

“Ew, cleaning,” Kagin spoke up with an amused tone.

“Ew, drooling.”

“Hey...what?” I pointed to the decorative pillow he was sleeping on with a chuckle. His smirk dropped as he covered his mouth and looked away. “That was a direct attack.”

“You know it.” I laughed as I walked back to the doorway. I bent down to pick up the paper bag I had placed down earlier and left Kagin to deal with his shame alone.

Kagin had been living with me for about five years now. We both found each other on the streets of this little village after I had escaped from Galterius’ eagles.

I sat in the wooden box with my knees pulled to my chest. The footsteps of strangers walked past as I cried. It was a silent and murky day, and the slow drizzle of rain made it even worse. I could hear the chatter of birds on the rooftops as they surrounded the box.

I looked up at them in fear as their beaks reminded me of those of eagles. They were sharp and pointed. Those points took everything else I had away from me. They took the aunt I was supposed to be living with away. I was alone and cold. I had no one again. I was twelve and couldn’t handle the idea. I broke down.

More footsteps ran down the street while hushed voices whispered urgently. I peered around the box lid, wiping at the tears that stung my eyes. People were moving away from the plaza in worry and fear. I spotted a man a few feet away with a sack of money hanging loosely out of his pocket. My stomach growled desperately so I took action. With the man distracted with what was going on in the plaza, I snuck up behind him and slowly slipped my hand into his pocket. With a swift motion, the sack was in my palm. I looked down at it with awe and pride, but it was short-lived.

“Hey, give that back you pest!”

I jumped back into reality as the man came back to his wits. I held the sack against my chest as I bolted down the street towards the plaza in hopes of getting lost in the fleeing crowd. I weaved in and out of rushing people, my short stature allowing me to slip in between bodies easily. I broke through the crowd, breathing heavily as fresh air whipped across my face. My eyes widened as I ducked behind a cart.

In front of me stood a circle of guards surrounding something. I squinted in hopes of seeing what they were trying to subdue.

“Shoot the tranquilizers, dammit!!”

“It’s a druid for the gods’ sake! Tranquilizers don’t do shit against them!”

“What do you want us to do then?! Before long we will all be torn to shreds!”

“Use the electric rods! They always work against animals like these!”

I covered my ears as their hoarse shouts filled my skull. I tilted my head, seeing a dark shape darting between the soldiers. Snarls could be heard as the guards dodged an attack. Then, a young voice could be heard between the primal noises.

“Get the fuck away from me, you bastards! I am not going back to that hell hole!”

My eyes widened as I saw a black feline through the guards’ legs. It looked like a young lion, but yet, it spoke. I cursed silently, wanting nothing more than to get away as soon as possible. I turned to flee before the voice spoke again.

“You can tell your fucking king that I would rather die than go back there!”

I slowly turned my head to look back.

“King…?”

“Summon the rod, dammit! We already lost two of our men to this beast!” I watched as a spear formed in one of the guard’s right hand. Sparks of electricity writhed its way down to the hilt of the long pole. My eyes widened as the guard brought the spear back, ready to launch it at the large cat in the middle. I looked around.

“Fuck. There are no shadows...” I looked up to the cart, seeing a stiff piece of bread. I looked at the loaf with a blank stare. I slowly moved to pick the piece of bread up as the guards continued to shout. The black lion ran around the circle of men in an attempt to make an exit.

My fingers wrapped around the bread as I slowly stood, still going unnoticed. I steadily made my way over to the man with the spear. Time seemed to slow as the guard brought the spear back into a throwing position with his right hand behind his head. I looked into the middle. The feline had pounced on a soldier and was ripping him to shreds with curses leaving its mouth. I grimaced slightly but looked away. My right hand swung the bread, hitting the soldier straight on the temple. It wasn’t enough to knock the soldier unconscious, but it was enough to distract him. I wrapped my left hand around the hilt of the spear and pulled it out of his hand. I gasped as the weight of the spear dragged my arms down. I tried to pull the spear back up to fighting height, but the guard had already gained composure.

“What the- You’re a fucking kid!” He cried, looking down at me in shock and fury. I gave a breathless laugh as I slowly backed up, dragging the spear with me.

“Yup,” I mumbled nervously. “Just a stupid ki- EEE!”

I jumped back as the guard lunged for me. His hand grazed my arm in an attempt to regain his weapon from my possession. I looked around helplessly as my arms started to grow exhausted. The guard slowly moved towards me, his hand outstretched.

“Just give me the spear and no one gets hurt.” I frowned, gazing at the guards head. He was blocking the sun with his body. My frown turned into a smirk as my ring glowed softly. The guard stopped in his tracks, staring at the ring.

“You’re the kid...”

“Yup! Also, someone is most definitely getting hurt and it won’t be me or whatever the heck that lion over there is.” Shadows wrapped around the hilt of the spear; giving me the strength to hold the weapon up in a defensive position. “I may not be a great fighter yet, but if you happen to work for King Asshole, then, by all means, come at me.” My eyes quickly glanced to the skies, making sure the eagles haven’t returned. My eyes traveled back to the guard who found the threat very amusing. Little did he know, I wasn’t kidding.

My foot swung out to the right. I hooked the back of his knee and pulled him to the ground. I quickly swung the spear forward, connecting the tip to the soft spot of his back. Electrical current shot from the spear into his back. His body convulsed for a second before I pulled the spear back to look at his unconscious body. I nodded slightly before looking back up to find eyes on me. I stilled.

“Uh. Hi?” I gave a slight wave to the other guards as I let the spear tip hit the floor. The lion had an arm in its mouth but stilled when gazing at me. Its crimson eyes narrowed in suspicion and confusion. Its eyes weren’t necessarily feral but held a human-like emotion that I couldn’t figure out. I gulped and waved with a tiny smile.

“Good kitty?” The lion huffed in a human-like manner.

“I can speak, you know. And I am not an actual lion. Well, I kinda am- Ok, this is not the time to explain this. Why are you helping?” The lion’s eyes locked back onto mine, searching. “For all I know, you could be with them; being used as a distraction.”

“I'm twelve.”

“Kids can be used as war tools, just look at me.” I sighed, turning to look at the guards that were slowly closing back in.

“With what you were yelling earlier, I assumed you had beef with the King.” The lion looked at me from the side as he swiped at a guard that dared to step too close.

“You can say that.” He rumbled, moving closer. to the center. “Shit, they came prepared.”

I bit my lower lip as the guards pushed me

further into the circle. I looked above where

the sun stood directly overhead. My face contorted into that of worry as the shadows that held the spear up grew weaker. The lion looked between me and the sky.

“Are you praying or something?”

“No, my shadows are growing weak.”

“Shadows...?”

“My magic.” I held up my ring as the lion gave a curt nod.

“Well, we can’t really defeat them at this rate. We need to run.” I frowned slightly at that idea. I looked towards my already bloodied, bare feet. I cursed as I looked in every direction. A light appeared in my head as I looked at the young lion that stood at my upper neck height. I dove beneath his stomach, sitting there for a second before moving my left hand across the ground. The lion jumped in shock.

“W-what are you doing?!” He bent his head down, staring at my form.

“Shadows! You are big enough to give me something to work with, even if it’s a little

amount!”

“You have crazy fucking ideas.”

“I get that a lot.” I hummed. “For now just keep the guard’s at bay.”

“And how am I supposed to do that with you underneath me? With your dwarf-self, I

could easily hurt you.” He grumbled, lifting his head back up to glare at the guards.

“Just do it, dammit! I’m almost done!”

He nodded as I stared at the ground. My ring glowed a soft gray as I slowly sent shadows into the crevices between the individual bricks of the street. I watched as they slowly wrapped around the boots of the guards, holding them in place. I gently tugged on the underfur of the black lion.

“On three, I need you to sprint for it.” The lion looked at me in confusion. I shook

my head, giving him no chance to ask questions.

“Three...two...one...NOW!” He leaped for one of the guards as I released my

shadows, keeping the rest of them in place. As the lion bowled over the guard, I took the chance to run past. “Let’s go! You can rip him to shreds later!”

I heard the large feline jump from the guard and onto the street. Black fur flashed

past me in my peripherals as I continued to run. I looked at my ring. The soft glow began to fade. I looked around, spotting the alleyway from earlier.

“Hey! We need to hide! My shadows won’t hold them for much longer!” I was now

a few hundred yards behind the black cat, it would be a miracle if he could hear me over the chaos. I cursed lightly again as I started to slow down, pain raking up my legs. I was too focused on the alley ahead to notice the sharp piece of cobblestone sticking up from the street. My toe caught the jagged stone and I yelped as I watched the world fly past me. I landed on the ground with a sharp pain shooting up my leg.

“Shit!” I cursed, watching as blood welled up to the surface of my knee. I bit a piece off of my already torn clothing and wiped the blood away to assess the damage. There was a deep gash right below my knee cap where blood continued to gush. I tried to stand up, but a stinging sensation caused me to fall back down. “Dammit...not now, not now.”

I wrapped the wound quickly, unsure of what to do next. I looked over my shoulder to the road behind me. Soldiers were turning over every cart and questioning every merchant. I slowly shook my head.

“Please don’t come this wa-” I was stopped mid-sentence as I felt someone lift me up bridal style.

“You’re clumsy too? Holy shit, you are quite the package.” I squinted as I got over the shock. My eyes widened as I recognized the voice.

“You’re- you’re...”

“No time to explain. We have to go.” I let out a little yelp as he took off down the street. I gazed ahead as I narrowed my eyes. I looked up at the sky again. My eyes widened as I tried to wriggle out of his hands.

“Hey, hey, hey! Relax! Why do you keep looking at the sky anyway?” The boy that held me hummed.

“Eagles...” I whispered. His eyes widened as he looked up. He scowled as he instantly

took a sharp left and dove into an abandoned building. He sat me down and peered out the window.

“Why are his eagles here?! I didn’t think he would be that interested in getting me back.” He muttered. I finally was able to take a good look at him. He wore only a pair of worn-out pants and an old pair of shoes. His chest was littered with small scars and cuts which caught my attention. I tilted my head slightly as I got lost in thought.

“Hm...My eyes are up here.” I slowly shook my head as I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Er, sorry.” I chuckled. “And I don’t think his eagles are here for you...”

“Then who are they here for?”

“Me,” I muttered absentmindedly. I stared out the window with my finger tapping quickly against the floor. I couldn’t meet the stranger’s eyes as I kept quiet, listening to the far off cry of the large birds. I shuddered slightly at the memory. “Don’t ask about it.”

He nodded, returning to stare out the window as well. He frowned for a second before turning back to me.

“What’s your name?” He questioned.

“Katsai,” I responded with slight hesitation.

“Well, Imma call you Kat for short. I want to thank you for your help back there. I also have the idea that you don’t have a great history with the King.” I shook my head in agreement. I fidgeted with my ring as he continued to stare at me; his eyes searching for something to go off of. I sighed, falling back to sit with one of my legs crossed beneath me while the injured leg was positioned to lay in front of me. After a short while, the boy spoke up again.

“The name’s Kagin.” He smiled slightly, looking back to the window. “I don’t know what you could have done to anger the King, but to have his eagles after you, whatever you did was badass.”

“I didn’t do anything, although I wish I did.” I frowned, humming lightly. “This is just the aftermath of what my parents did years ago. Eight years to be exact. I was only four.”

“Four?!” I tilted my head at his exclamation. I leaned back on the palms of my hands as I arched my brow.

“How is that surprising?”

“It's not, but to think he holds that much anger on a child for something their parents did, crime or not...Yeah, it’s not surprising, to be honest. It sounds like something he would do.” Kagin sighed as he lowered himself to the ground. I narrowed my eyes slightly before turning my gaze to my bandaged knee. Questions burned at the back of my throat as I picked at the stones that littered the ground.

“By the look on your face, I can tell you have questions.” My head snapped back up as I gazed back at his charcoal eyes. The dark circles had hints of amusement at my sudden action. His voice rose back up. “When you’ve been an experiment for ten years, you learn to read the emotions of those around you. The ones who hold fear, the ones who hold hatred, and the ones who hold sadness. You learn to use their emotions against them; to protect yourself and the other victims from their actions. These scars,” He gestured to the various cuts and scars that littered his chest, arms, and back. “...are from whips, knives, and different types of needles.” His voice dropped low. As the words flowed from his mouth, venom dripped from his tongue. Fury and hatred radiated from his form as his face glazed in memory. He held out his right arm, and, very slowly, traced various numbers inked on the inside of his forearm with his left index finger.

“Subject 2243156.” He muttered as if it was a far off fantasy. “I was the same age as you when I woke up to find myself lying on a lab table. The smell of blood was so strong, you could taste the iron on your tongue.” His eyes traveled back to mine where he smirked lightly. “I’m so fucking glad I escaped. For ten fucking years, I had to deal with their needles, their ‘serums’, their fucking experiments. I watched kids fall to the ground where the so-called serum had completely stopped their hearts. I would sit in my cell, staring at the shackles that bound my hands, wondering when I would fall like a bird from the sky with my wings beating their last beats.

I’m fourteen now, well I think I am at least, I lost track of the days. I have no family nor place to stay. I was torn from my home years ago. I can barely remember it. All I know about myself is my first name and race.” He stretched as if retelling the story exhausted him. “Kagin: The half-elf. Experiment and property of Galterius.” He stood and bowed in a mocking manner.

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth as his story repeated in my head. I slowly shook my head. My hands flew to the sides of my skull as I held my head between my fingers. Images of fire and destruction filled my head. The screams of people shook within my brain, creating a ringing sensation that stung like the repeated jabs of a bee’s stinger.

“Helloooo?” A hand shook my shoulder as I looked up. “Tongue-tied? Don’t worry, that story does that to peop-”

“What kind of experiments did he perform?” My voice was monotone with hints of icy venom as I interrupted him mid-sentence.

“What?” Kagin stilled. He gazed at me with worry and confusion.

“The experiments. What were they about?” Kagin shrugged as he leaned his head back to stare at the rusted ceiling beams that rested above precariously. I went silent, prepared to take silence as an answer after a few minutes of stillness. However, after a loud screech of the large golden eagles, Kagin’s voice filled the room. His usually husky voice now sounded dead and emotionless.

“How should I know? I was just the test subject. All I know is that it had something to do with magic and elves.” His last words caught my attention.

“But aren’t elves-”

“Extinct? Yeah, pretty much. The only remains of their race live in people like me.” He pointed to his slanted ears as he caught me off mid-sentence in a rushed manner. “Although, I believe there are a few left, but in hiding because of the human king Prakeral.”

“Prakeral?”

“Tch. People don’t keep records of that bastard?” He looked at his hands with a sharp glare. I looked to the side as an uncomfortable wave of emotion flowed through my veins. I pulled my injured knee a little closer to my body as I looked back to Kagin, who was still staring at his hands.

“I’m guessing Prakeral wasn’t a generous King.” I murmured softly.

“Yep! He destroyed the last elven village fifty years ago...” His voice trailed off in a sorrow-filled song as he hummed. My eyes shifted to his hands which were left in his lap as he gazed out of the window again, lost in thought. I closed my eyes slowly as something my dad told me, before King Galterius decimated my home village, flashed in my mind. I took in a hesitant breath with my chest shaking as I exhaled. I looked back to his hand, slowly reaching out.

He jumped as my hand wrapped around his. He looked at my face as if searching for some lie or fake emotion. I looked out the window as I hummed, remembering my dad’s words.

“It’s funny how two complete strangers can have something in common. That common item isn’t something that we cherish. That’s what makes it more humorous.” I leaned back but kept my hand on his in a form of comfort. “Just like you, I lost everything plus some to that ass of a king.”

Kagin stared at me for a long second before slowly removing his hand from mine. He pulled himself up, using the window sill as a crutch. As he brought himself to his full height, his fingers clenched ominously. He glanced out the window before turning his gaze back to me. I tensed under his gaze.

Kagin let out a sigh as I closed my eyes, fearing that I could’ve triggered a hidden temper.

“Stop looking so scared. I’m not going to hurt you.” I opened one of my eyes, noticing that one of his hands was outstretched towards me. My eyes moved up to his face, noticing a wide grin had replaced the frown from earlier. “How about we kick some royal ass?” He beckoned me with his hand again.

I frowned for a second. I had lost everything. My aunt, my parents, my home, and myself. I looked at his hand. I was alone, as a twelve-year-old. I pickpocketed just to buy food and wore rags that barely kept me warm. I began to laugh.

Kagin tilted his head back, confused.

“Why are you laughing?” I chuckled, slowly taking his hand as he helped me up and used his arm to help me balance.

“Just grateful, I guess.” I rubbed the back of my neck. I slowly brought up my left hand, flashing the ring. “Now, about that offer to kick some ass.”

“Kat, you’ve been staring at that wall for five minutes now.” I jumped as Kagin’s voice pushed through my thoughts. I yelped as a sharp pain shot down my spine, and I fell backward onto the wooden floor behind me. I rubbed the back of my head, glaring at the door handle.

“Stupid piece of metal,” I grumbled, slowly pulling myself up. I rolled my head to the side to look back to my elven companion who stared at me with slight worry. He slowly walked over, looking down at the paper bag that still stood on the floor. His face contorted into puzzlement as he picked up the bag.

“Rolls? What’d you do this time?” Kagin sighed, looking back up at me with exasperation. My eyes widened as I slowly turned around to face him.

“How’d you guess?” I hummed.

“You never buy me food unless it is to announce something, usually something bad.” He shrugged as he lifted a roll out of the bag. He bit into it, cocking his eyebrow as he waited for a reply. He swung his hand forward to urge me on.

“Ok, ok. You have to promise me that you won’t be mad or freak out about it though, ok?” I motioned for the other roll. He quickly tossed it to me before swallowing.

“You always say that.” He grumbled impatiently. “Nothing really surprises me with you anymore.”

“You’ll change your mind after you see this.” I moved aside my cloak as I brought forward the satchel that was still warm to the touch. I unclipped it from my waist and threw it to him. He stumbled, quickly catching the brown leather bag against his chest but dropping his roll. He stared at the roll for a long second.

“Aw..”

“Just open the satchel, I’ll get you another later.” I huffed with my foot tapping restlessly.

“Ok, ok.” He slowly pulled open the top of the satchel, peering inside cautiously. “If it’s one of those fire-throwing mice again, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“It’s not, I promise.” I leaned my back against the door as nervousness swam through my veins like a fish in the sea. My right index finger tapped against my left forearm in angst. I stared at Kagin’s face as he registered what was in the satchel. His brows furrowed to a look of fear and fury mixed. He threw the bag on the ground and jumped back like a cat would a rattlesnake. The crimson that lingered in his eyes seemed to fade over the rest of his iris as his snarl erupted around the room.

“Kat, what the hell is his aiteho doing here?!” Slightly elongated canines flashed as Kagin spoke. He looked between me and the bag continuously. “You better have a good explanation.”

I rubbed my forearm as I looked to the right. The fire crackled lightly as silence threatened to overtake the steaming atmosphere. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting my thoughts and worries overtake my consciousness. Here you go, messing something up again. You could lose it all here. He won’t care for your excuse. You are just a thief. A good-for-nothing criminal. I quickly shook my head in hopes of driving the toxic thoughts off. I opened my eyes, noticing it was still silent.

I turned my head to Kagin who was still waiting for an answer. I bit my lower lip before letting my face fall blank.

“Stole it,” I responded with simplicity.

“Yeah, that is quite obvious,” Kagin growled as he looked at the bag. “I thought I told you not to go through with that plan, especially if you do it alone!”

“Last I checked, you weren’t in charge.” I ran my fingers through my hair as I looked to the right again. Kagin inhaled sharply as he reached out for the bag again. I spoke again before he could retort. “And plus, it would’ve been too risky if more people were involved.”

“It was already too risky. That isn’t some stupid buffoon who sits on that thrown, Kat! We both know that because we experienced it first hand! You’ve yet to tell me how he even destroyed your life!” I flinched slightly. Kagin pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out a breath.

“That’s not the most important issue at the moment.” He stood still for a moment to calm down before picking up the satchel again. “It’s still warm; which means, you did it just a few hours ago.” I nodded, absentmindedly.

“Yeah, right before sunrise.” Kagin looked up sharply.

“That’s why it took you so long to get back. You had to take those routes we planned out years ago.” I snapped my fingers.

“Bingo! Detective Kagin hits it right on the spot! Wow! Case solved!” Kagin just stared at me with no amusement. I whistled, letting the pitch drop as I realized the tune didn’t help.

“Kat, this is serious. Did you run into any guards?” I tilted my head as his question registered in my mind. I slowly brought up my index finger.

“Do I have to answer that?”

“Yes, Kat.”

“Well, damn. Yeah, I did.” I huffed, letting my hand fall back to my side. Kagin slowly shook his head as he threw the satchel. It landed right in front of my foot. I stared at it for a second. “Hey, what-”

“We need to go, as soon as possible.” He quickly muttered. He opened the oak door that leads to the kitchen and stepped through. He returned shortly with a pair of daggers clutched in his palm. He tied them to his side and went around the cottage in a rushed manner. He went back into the kitchen before coming back into view with handfuls of jarred food and water. He quickly placed them onto the floor before standing back up to look at me.

“Don’t just stand there. Help me out.” I stirred with a shake of my head.

“Hey, just wait a second. What are you doing exactly?” I grabbed his forearm, stopping him from packing a large bag with a few of the jars.

“Isn’t it obvious? Man, you can be so blind at times. Look, dwarf, you said you ran into some of the royal guards, right?”

“Well, yeah, I did, but I handled them.”

“With one of your death threats, correct? Look, Kat, those don’t always work and even if they did, these cottages will be searched. They know your face already, based on your paling complexion, and if they find you here, this whole village will be set ablaze. You know that. We can’t risk it, and I am definitely not going to wait around to watch innocent people die.”

I froze as the screams from thirteen years ago resurfaced in my head. I nodded solemnly as I ran to grab another bag. I sprinted into the kitchen where granite countertops stood upon oak drawers and cabinet doors. Various items littered the top of the counters; including a steel kitchen knife that was currently in the process of being sharpened, a cheap silver necklace that was stolen from a vendor in the plaza, and a small pouch of gold coins that were being saved by Kagin. I swung my hand out, grabbing the small cloth pouch. I held it gently in my palm before tying it to the leather strap that looped around my waist and flowed over my shoulder.

I gave one last glance to the kitchen before turning right where another door stood, already ajar. I quickly walked into the pitch-black room. Two beds resided in the room, one lying with one side against the left wall and the other the right. I rushed to the bed on the left, moving aside the various blankets and quilts that lined it. With the bedspreads out of the way, I moved aside my pillows where a piece of parchment was hidden. I picked the thick paper up and slowly turned it around. Two faces smiled up at me with a third jumping in between.

I smiled softly at the picture and slowly folded it into a tiny square. I quickly placed the photograph in my bag and replaced the pillows.

“Now that I secured that.” I murmured, moving to the closet that sat beside the bed on the right. I quickly opened it, rushing to grab extra clothing. With the items folded and neatly packed, I rushed out of the room.

“Kat, hurry your ass u- Oh, there you are.” Kagin stood by the door, his hand already turning the knob. “Got everything?”

I nodded quickly. I looked to the window as Kagin turned the knob. I froze as something dark caught my eye. Black pillars of smoke rose into the horizon with dark silhouettes circling around the spirals. With a quick movement, I pulled on Kagin’s shirt and tugged him back before he could walk through the door.

“Hey, what’s the matter? We’ve got to go.” He looked towards me and stilled as he noticed my panic-stricken face. He looked towards the window, following my eyes.

“It’s already too late..” I murmured. “The spark has already been thrown, but how?”

“Did you talk to anyone other than the guards?”

“Yeah.”

“Who?!”

“A merchant that I don’t know the name of.” I sighed, crossing my arms. “He is the one that sold me the rolls. He was a chipper old-man and seemed really pleased with his work. He did give me a warning, however, about the Wanted posters and the criminals that resided on them. One of them being me of course. I don’t think he saw what I looked like though and even if he did, he seemed like he didn’t want trouble, so why would he snitch?”

Kagin inhaled before letting out a slow breath before continuing.

“He didn’t snitch, but do you remember anyone else around that merchant’s cart?”

I stopped to think back on the warning the merchant had given me. I fiddled with my ring as the memory resurfaced.

“Now that I think about it, he wasn’t staring directly at me as he spoke.” My eyes widened as realization dawned on me. “There was a figure behind me but I was so focused on getting back home that I didn’t register them at the moment. The merchant...he was-” I inhaled sharply.

“I’m so stupid!” I kicked at the wall quickly as frustration overtook my emotions. I cursed as pain rocketed up my leg. I glared at the wall before letting out a breath. I looked back to the window where the black pillars seemed to grow closer.

“They are going to burn down the whole village.” Kagin spoke up, reciting my thoughts. He gazed at me through the corners of his eyes, concern fleeting across his face before he let it fall flat. I slowly shook my head at him.

“We can’t do anything now.” I muttered, more to myself than anything. “This village is already gone.” I let my voice fade to a whisper. “Just like last time.”

“What was that?” Kagin was still gazing at me. I just sighed, turning towards the door.

“Let’s just leave while we can.”

He gave a curt nod, his hand wrapping around the doorknob. He froze as something cut through the air. Chills swept up my spine as the voice called through the chaos of outside. Kagin slowly turned his head to me, his face blank but clear worry flashed in his eyes as the voice called from outside again.

“Katsai Cree! By royal command of King Galterius, you are ordered to reveal yourself and surrender before the king! Lay down your weapons and show yourself or we will use lethal force!”

I stared out the window, where a large troop of soldiers stood before the cottages. Spears and weapons stood in their gloved hands as they surrounded the community.

“We are too late.